[SOLVED] New equivalent of manual hciconfig hci0 up?

jwhendy · 2017-05-13 18:57:19

I don't use bluetooth regularly and manually start the service when I want to pair with, say, a bluetooth speaker. I see from the wiki that the method of `hciconfig hci0 up` is deprecated, with the suggestion to power it on automatically using this:

$cat /etc/bluetooth/main.conf
[Policy]
AutoEnable=true

That's fine, but hciconfig hci0 up wasn't a method of automatically enabling the device; it was (for me at least) a way of enabling the interface on demand. In other words, I don't see these methods as equivalent. Currently I have bluez-utils-compat installed so I can continue on using the method I've always used...

What is the recommended/official/non-deprecated method to enable hci0 on demand?

Last edited by jwhendy (2017-05-13 22:15:11)

Trilby · 2017-05-13 19:08:03

From my reading of it, use of hciconfig is not deprecated nor is it going away. What is deprecated is using hciconfig commands in init and/or udev scripts to have bluetooth enabled automatically on boot. If you want bluetooth enabled on boot, there is now a new (better) method. If you don't want it enabled on boot, then this change does not apply to you.

jwhendy · 2017-05-13 20:25:35

@Trilby: I quoted the first thing I found when searching the page for "hciconfig"; that speaks particularly to auto-enabling on reboot, but here's another quote from the wiki that explicitly says this tool is deprecated/no longer maintained:

Some tools such as hcitool and hciconfig have been deprecated upstream, and are no longer included in bluez-utils. Since these tools will no longer be updated, it is recommended that scripts be updated to avoid using them. If you still desire to use them, install bluez-utils-compat. See FS#53110 and the Bluez mailing list for more information.

Now that I see that bluez mailing list post, perhaps I should inquire there. They only say this:

This marks the following tools as deprecated as they are not longer
maintained or have been replaced by other tools:
hciattach hciconfig hcitool hcidump rfcomm sdptool ciptool gatttool

This doesn't suggest if hcitool is just "not maintained" (in which case I suppose I can just use it as long as it keeps working) or "replaced."

At the end of the day, you're completely right that I can just keep using this... it's just one of those compulsive linux things in my mind. I'm thinking about it now, so it'd be nice to resolve. In a year when things just fall apart I'll have completely forgotten about this and possibly waste a bunch of time trying to figure out what broke. Then I'll post here like a fool and be told I should have known better than to be using a deprecated tool (This is half joking but not far fetched!)

Trilby · 2017-05-13 20:43:20

It seems you were right. The mailing list post does indicate that hciconfig is on the way out. But perhaps it is one that is to be replaced. The release notes, however, were only saying using hciconfig in init or udev scripts was depcrecated.

jwhendy · 2017-05-13 22:14:53

Gotcha. I'll mark as solved... I'm still curious, but at least I know it seems arch is just repeating the best of what we know for now. I think any bigger picture information would need to come from the bluez devs.

Arch Linux

#1 2017-05-13 18:57:19

[SOLVED] New equivalent of manual hciconfig hci0 up?

#2 2017-05-13 19:08:03

Re: [SOLVED] New equivalent of manual hciconfig hci0 up?

#3 2017-05-13 20:25:35

Re: [SOLVED] New equivalent of manual hciconfig hci0 up?

#4 2017-05-13 20:43:20

Re: [SOLVED] New equivalent of manual hciconfig hci0 up?

#5 2017-05-13 22:14:53

Re: [SOLVED] New equivalent of manual hciconfig hci0 up?

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